Niger welcomed Russian instructors and received a large shipment of military equipment this week. The military mission is part of an initiative to strengthen security cooperation between both countries, according to the African country's government television channel.
Niger's government agreed in January to intensify military cooperation with Russia, after expelling French troops deployed to fight jihadists in the Sahel region, according to AFP.
The situation occurs while relations between the United States and Niger are rocky at best. The United States has trained Niger's military forces and the country has been seen as a reliable ally in a region marked by conflict. However, earlier this year, Niger announced that it would no longer recognize the U.S. military’s presence in its country, NBC reported.
The Tele Sahel network broadcast the arrival of a Russian plane with state-of-the-art military equipment and military instructors from the Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday night in Niamey, the capital.
Russia is going to set up an air defense system capable of "guaranteeing total control of our airspace," Tele Sahel stated.
The head of Niger's military, General Abdourahaman Tiani, spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 26.
The two leaders discussed security cooperation as well as "global strategic cooperation" against "current threats," officials said, without providing further details.
